Despite the fun of the summer holiday period, the festive season can also be a stressful time of year and one during which we often eat more, increase our alcohol intake, exercise less, gain weight, and simply feel overwhelmed and unwell.
Overindulgence is a common problem, so here are some tips to avoid feeling like rubbish during this time:
Practice good eating habits.
Chew food well and eat slowly, sit down to eat, eat only what you need to feel full and try to stop eating before you feel too full. When you have eaten, step away from the buffet table…yes, it all looks very tasty but do you really need it? Despite the temptation to overeat, look at how much you have stacked onto your plate. Stick to healthy portion sizes and watch your intake.
Mindful eating helps.
Understand why you are eating and drinking food that may not normally be part of your healthy diet…hunger, festive mindset, boredom, the influence of alcohol, or just because the food looks good and is right there in front of you. Understand your own body, and don’t grab food that you know just doesn’t sit well with you, however delicious it may look. Make good choices even when at parties. Try to eat at regular times when possible, and not too late at night. Ideally, your last meal should be about 3 hours before you go to bed.
Make good meal choices.
Salads with vegetables, fruit, and protein are wonderful for lunch and dinner. A protein at every meal plus protein rich snacks such as nuts, apple slices with nut butter and hummus with vegetable sticks can help curb hunger pangs and unhealthy choices during the day. Eating lots of fruit and vegetables, including anti-inflammatory foods such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, onions, broccoli, berries, spinach, kale, and other green leafy vegetables can help to balance the party eating.
Shop well.
Over the holiday season plan and organize. Do careful shopping each week, with good meal prep and planning. This will help you avoid random shopping when you find lots of chips and lollies in your trolley.
Drink wisely.
Alcohol is high in kilojoules, so try non-alcoholic options or light beer. Dilute your wine and spirits with ice or mineral water, and eat before you start drinking. Watch your alcohol intake and drink one glass of water for every glass of alcohol.
Keep hydrated.
Drink 2-3 litres of water per day for hydration and waste elimination, plus herbal teas such as dandelion for liver detoxification, ginger with turmeric, lemon and honey for immunity and digestion.
Help your digestion.
Try a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in warm water before meals to balance pH of stomach and aid digestion, or a slice of lemon in warm water before breakfast. Including bitter greens in your salads is great too.
Keep moving.
Exercising, whether at the gym, beach, pool, or simply walks after dinner all help with weight control and balancing mood. It is easy to get lazy, but exercise is key to bouncing back after eating, drinking and celebrating.
Don’t stress.
Cooking, cleaning, shopping, overspending, looking after visitors, plus endless socialising can leave us exhausted and stressed. So try to stay calm and keep a sense of humour. Stress can wipe you out, so meditating, gentle exercise, reading and relaxing may help. Most important…enjoy yourself!
Try a detox in the new year.
Also remember that the best kind of “detox” is adopting a clean-eating approach that replaces processed, fatty, sugary foods with nutritious quality whole foods, and eating daily from all the food groups where possible. Include foods that assist in clearing the overload such as green foods like barley, wheatgrass, spinach, spirulina, organic leafy greens, and green vegetables.
Pamela Nelson is a Clinical Naturopath, Nutritionist, and Herbalist at Health Space Lane Cove.
